M&E plans to refurbish the portion of track that runs through the woods behind the school and will use the revamped rails to store railroad cars there, Superintendent Jeffrey Rutzky reported at the Thursday, Feb 23, meeting.

~Steve PellettiereCo-Moderator: DL&W/Erie/EL Forum"Each of us makes his own weather, determines the color of the skies in the emotional universe which he inhabits."

One thing that may factor into their choice - the tracks to Harrison Avenue they own and have a greater degree of freedom. The other lines mentioned are county owned and leased to the M&E. Given all the trouble they had in Roxbury a couple of years ago, I would doubt that the county would support them using the county tracks for dead car storage which, in the eyes of the host towns/NIMBYS, would be "creating an attractive nuisance".

While the article seems to show that the town, at least the BOE, is playing ball, the situation could well change once the cars are actually in place and the neighbors get an eyeful. I don't know how widely read the little newspaper the article is but surely there will be some loud mouth who didn't see it. Essex Fells and Roseland are not cheap places to reside and I doubt people will take a liking to a line of rusting railroad cars. The M&E largely has the law on their side but it could still get sticky.

The school isn't the only place they would need a crossing, there is a very small golf practice range just east of the school that also tore up the rails when they built a driveway to their parking lot.

There was another article on Friday that stated M&E intends to store empty box cars just to the west of Davenport Ave... Obviously the NIMBYS in that development are very vocal and very enraged, but the mayor said he can't do anything to stop M&E and that is that!

~Steve PellettiereCo-Moderator: DL&W/Erie/EL Forum"Each of us makes his own weather, determines the color of the skies in the emotional universe which he inhabits."

I was told that the M&E sold off the ROW from about Route 280 east to Harrison Ave to the town of Roseland for a hiking trail...........any brush clearing was probably done by the town workers? They should have never sold off the ROW....gone forever now.

What a damn shame and missed opportunity to reactivate the tracks and bring back passenger excursion service especially where Morris County Central ran trains up to the run around tracks around Harrison Ave then back to Whippany.

"And remember, you can make a difference."
John Walsh (America's Most Wanted)